Beginnings

This is the first of what I hope will be many posts. Fitness has been a struggle for me...an up and down journey with more downs than ups. In short, my story is like that of many women. After I turned 27, my body decided to pay me back for every carb I'd ever consumed. Penance began with a vengeance. It didn't help that my first year teaching I worked 60+ hour weeks and began supporting the local fast food joint single handedly during my long days and late nights of "learning the ropes." Add to that year the meeting and marrying of my husband and this girl had alot going on. The pounds started creeping on, but I brushed it away with a trite "I'll take care of it later" mentality. I always had before. 

Fast-forward about five years and 32 pounds later....THIRTY-TWO pounds later, people!! I was overwhelmed to the point of inaction. It didn't help that my husband is a professional athlete with more discipline and self-motivation than any ten other people I know put together. I felt like a rather large loser. Sigh. I was out of excuses and started the painful journey of trying to shed the pounds one monotonous mile at a time. 

I started walking and then slowly worked my way to a walk/ run routine. Finally I ran three miles without stopping. They were slow miles, but they were miles. The next day I found out I was expecting our first baby. We'd gone through several miscarriages in the past, so to be on the safe side and not have to wonder "what if?" if things didn't work out, I abruptly stopped my runs and went back to walking. That was a little over a year ago. 

Now, with a beautiful 5 1/2 month old baby, I've started back at square one. This time is different though. I have goals. I want to run a marathon and someday, I want to run a F-A-S-T marathon. I'm committing to this blog because, I won't lie, sometimes I need accountability. (Don't we all?) I figure there are lots of folks out there like me. People who were once reasonably fit and then life got busy and crazy and full-time until one day you could no longer ignore the bins of clothes that no longer fit and the numbers on the scale that were no longer friendly. Enough already! Join me on this journey to not settle for anything less than your best when it comes to a healthy and fit lifestyle. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm bound to fall on my face throughout this journey. I'm notorious for that in just about all aspects of life.....but I get up. I plan to be painfully honest and will do my best to blog regularly - - at least somewhat regularly. :) I'll keep track of my workouts and report back. I plan to ask other women to share their journeys and their thoughts on fitness and find ways to motivate myself and others who have similar goals and passions. I'd love your company along the way. :)

So where am I starting from?

The last several weeks I've been walking and/or running several days a week. I worked my way up to doing about three miles four days in a row and then taking a day off. My knees were k-i-l-l-i-n-g me, so I backed off a little and started doing two days on and then one day off. I'm currently 8 pounds lighter than I was when I found out I was pregnant. WooHoo!! :D That's a huge victory for me and is really helping to motivate me in continuing forward. 

Today was day one of "the plan." The plan to run a marathon someday before I'm dead. 

If I were really honest with you (and since I've promised to be brutally honest....)my dream is to run a sub 4-hour marathon someday. I cringe to put that in writing....I don't want to set myself up for failure....but what kind of attitude is that?! I want to go through the rest of my life at full-throttle and see what I can do! :) That's my dream and I'm going to go for it. I have other dreams, but they have nothing to do with fitness so I won't deviate from the topic.....for now. :) Just know I'm not so one-dimensional as to only have a fitness-related goal in life. :) 

My new motto at present is: Faith, Family, Fitness, Friends

in that order.

I'm a very social girl. I love entertaining and I love making new friends. However, I recently realized that my priorities were all out of whack. I was focusing on family and friends and family and friends. There was alot of what I really needed missing. There was a restlessness and discontent because I wasn't taking care of me. I needed to have faith as my priority because, frankly speaking, everything else can move out from underneath you. Family and friends will fail you at times and fitness may not always be possible. Faith is a foundation I can build on that won't shift out from underneath me. 

Family is second ~ My family means the world to me.

Fitness is for me ~ That's a new one! :)

Friends are such a blessing ~ The real ones I want to truly invest in.

So that's it in a nutshell. This is where I'm beginning. I'd love some company for this fun, but rather painful journey I'm about to embark on. Are you in?